Household pets and other animals create a significant problem because they deficate instinctively, particularly outdoors where they show no regard for location or property.
This creates a serious problem for both pet owners and property owners who must tend to the removal of the animal feces deposits. Furthermore, there is the cost to municipalities of maintaining playgrounds, parks and the like in a sanitary and appealing condition. The expense and man-hours required to clean up animal feces deposits is substantial. Large urban areas have a more serious problem in this regard.
Furthermore, animal feces abounds with bacteria, including worms which can be transmitted to humans. This bacteria can cause diseases which affect adults and children alike, although children are particularly susceptibe because they sometimes unknowingly come into contact with such fecal matter and fail to cleanse themselves in a proper manner. This results in illnesses and diseases which are often costly and difficult to detect and cure.
This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for cleaning up animal feces deposits from their situs without any physical contact with the animal feces deposit by the person performing the cleaning up.
Briefly stated, the apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a casing adapted to be held in a clean-up position, nozzle means forming an opening in the bottom of the casing when the casing is held in the clean-up position, an open-ended receptacle positioned within the casing with its open end in communication with the bottom opening of the nozzle means, and suction producing means mounted in the casing for causing an air flow to create a suction at the bottom opening sufficient to pick up an animal feces deposit from its situs and cause the same to move into the interior of the receptacle when the casing is held in the clean-up position with the bottom opening in close proximity to the animal feces deposit to be cleaned up.
The inventive method and apparatus for cleaning up animal feces deposits have several important advantageous features. Physical contact with animal feces deposit is avoided completely and visual observation thereof is reduced to a minimum whereby the person performing the cleaning up is spared the two most odious aspects of the task and is protected against the inherent health hazards of the task. Also, the cleaning up is performed in a minimum of time resulting in the saving of much labor over a period of time.